The present invention relates to a sphygmometer, and more particularly to a sphygmometer in which a pulse rate can be digitally displayed merely by bringing a sensing means into contact with skin covering an artery.
Heretofore, the pulse rate of a patient has been measured by a method in which a doctor or a nurse places his or her fingertip onto the skin covering a wristbone artery of the patient while clocking a predetermined amount of time. Alternatively, the pulse rate has been measured by a method in which a cuff of a sphygmomanometer is wrapped around an arm of the patient and a stethoscope is inserted underneath the cuff to listen to the pulse.
However, in the conventional method of taking a pulse using a fingertip, the doctor or a nurse is inconvenienced by the need to count the pulse while observing a watch. Further, because the pulse is taken for 10 or 15 seconds and then multiplied by a factor yielding a pulse/min count, inevitable error is generated. Furthermore, in case of a patient with a weak pulse pressure, the doctor or a nurse may not be able to feel the pulse, and thus the pulse rate cannot be measured accurately.
On the other hand, when checking the pulse with the stethoscope, the doctor or a nurse must carry the stethoscope to each hospital room. This may be troublesome due to the shape and size of the stethoscope.